Method of producing roving



y 1968 H. M. HICKMAN 3,383,851

METHOD OF PRODUCING ROVING Filed June 29, 1966 5 heets-Sheet l INVENTORHan 4M M fi/ckmafi /AT,NEK5

y 21, 1953 H. M. HICKMAN 3,383,851

METHOD OF PRODUCING ROVING Filed June 29, 1966 3 Sheets-Shee T- y 1968H. M. HICKMAN 3,383,851

METHOD OF PRODUCING ROVING Filed June 29, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5INVEN'TOR. flame/MM fink/720x? BY QW fi ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,383,851 METHOD GF PRQDUCING ROVING Howard M. Hickman, Overland Park,Kans., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Certain-Teed Products Corporation, Ardmorc, Pa., acorporation of Maryland Filed June 29, 1966, Ser. No. 561,477 1 Claim.(Cl. 57-157) This invention relates to methods of and apparatus forwinding glass fiber roving into a package thereof in such manner that,when the roving is withdrawn from a nonrotating package thereof, samedoes not have a twist.

The manufacture of glass fiber roving commences with the drawing offilaments from a bushing to form strands. Typically, 204 filaments aredrawn from a bushing and wound as a single strand on a cardboard tube inwhat is typically referred to as a forming tube package. This process istypically disclosed in the patent to M. A. Case, No. 2,955,772, issuedOct. 11, 1960, entitled, Textile Fiber Winder. These individualfilaments are themselves not twisted. Each strand is composed of 204filaments and is contained in a forming tube package, in the shape inwhich it is drawn from the bushing.

Glass fiber roving is commonly made by simultaneously winding a numberof strands in parallel on a rotating mandrel. Most frequently, theroving contains 60 strands, but it may have a greater or a lessernumber. The forming tube packages are typically placed on shelves and donot rotate. One strand is pulled from the center of each package. Thiswithdrawal imparts a slight twist (one 360 twist per circumferentiallength withdrawn) to the individual strands. Thus, the strands withinthe roving itself are twisted with respect to one another on theconventional winder in the roving. However, this individual strand twistis not objectionable, for the purposes of the instant invention.

In typical commercial uses of glass fiber roving, same may be usedchopped into relatively short lengths or as long lengths thereof drawnfrom the roving package. In the first type of use (short lengths), thereis no twist problem. In the second use, typically involved in filamentwinding processes or pultrusions, twist effects may well becomesignificant and undesirable. Thus, when the roving is used by themolder, in, say, filament winding processes or pultrusions, it istypically withdrawn from the inside of a nontrotating cylindricalpackage of roving (comparable to the strand withdrawal from the formingtube package in the roving makeup process). This action imparts a slighttwist to the roving (one 360 twist per circumferential length of rovingwithdrawn from the package). This roving twist is objectionable becauseit interferes with wetting of same by the molding resin and, in the caseof filament wound products, or other products requiring parallelstrands, does not allow the individual strands to be properly aligned toresist the stresses imposed in service.

The conventional method of forming glass fiber roving involvessimultaneously winding a number of strands in parallel on a rotatingmandrel, as previously mentioned. This results in a cylindrical rovingpackage wherein the strands within the roving itself are not twistedwith respect to one another. It is the withdrawal of the roving forfurther use from a static roving package which results in theapplication of one 360 twist per circumferential length of rovingwithdrawn from the package.

The instant improvement winds the aggregate strands making up the rovingon a nonrotating mandrel. The mandrel reciprocates, but as mentioned,does not rotate. This winding method imparts a twist to the strands ofthe roving equivalent to one 360 twist per circumferential length ofstrands wound on the roving package (or nonmice rotating mandrel), whichapplied twist operates to counteract the twist given to the roving bythe conventional removal from the roving package. Consequently, when theroving is used by the molder, it has no twist therein.

It is possible to unwind a conventional roving package from the outsidewith the package rotated. This results in no twist in the roving in use,but the speed of unwinding is limited and the process is hard to handle.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved glass fiber rovingpackage for use in continuous lengths thereof which, when unwound from anonrotating package, does not impart a twist to the roving.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for glass fiberroving manufacture adapted to wind glass fiber strands made up of drawnfilaments on a mandrel in such manner as to preapply a twist to thestrands with respect to one another whereby, when the roving iswithdrawn from a static roving package in conventional manner, theindividual strands of the roving will not be twisted with respect to oneanother.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods of handling glassfiber strands in the formulation of glass fiber rovings therefromwhereby ultimately used lengths of glass fiber roving will be optimalfor impregnation and wetting with resin thereby facilitating andoptimizing results in filament winding processes, pultrusions, etc.wherein such rovings are employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods of and apparatusfor winding any desired number of glass fiber strands made up of drawnfilaments thereof into a roving package whereby to be able to drawnontwist roving from said package either outside or inside thereof inconventional static roving package manner with the resultant rovinghaving no relative twist of the strands thereof with respect to oneanother.

Another object of the invention is to provide winding apparatus andmethods for winding roving packages of any desired size, weight anddiameter wherein the roving withdrawn therefrom at any desired speedwill be entirely without twist of the individual strands thereof withrespect to one another.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods of and apparatusfor applying twist to the glass fiber strands being wound in a rovingpackage relative to one another, said twist applied in uniform mannerwhereby each circumferential wind of roving in the package has one 360twist of the strands making up the roving of the package with respect toone another.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the course ofthe following description thereof.

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and areto be read in conjunction therewith, embodiments of the invention areshown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicatelike pants.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a roving winding apparatus embodying the instantinvention with parts cut away to better illustrate the various items ofthe operative assembly.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, taken from the lowerside of FIG. 1 looking upward on the page of drawings.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2, namely, takenfrom the right-hand sides of FIGS. 1 and 2 looking to the left in theviews.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of the drum seen to the left in the viewsof FIGS. 1 and 2, the view looking from the left to the right in thoseviews (actually a view taken looking from the left to right in the viewof FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 is a side-sectional detail of the drum in the upper left-handcorner of FIG. 2, parts shown in dotted lines, full lines and cutaway tobetter illustrate the various relationships of the parts to one another.FIGS. 1-3 do not contain the details of structure seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 6 is a three-quarter perspective view of a tape or a lead ribbonwhich is wound on itself and so configured unwound in the view as toillustrate the problem which the present invention wishes to solve.

FIG. 7 is a view of a tape or ribbon like to that of FIG. 6, butillustrating the tape wound on itself in the manner adopted in thepresent invention to solve the problem.

Referring first to FIGS. 6 and 7, therein are shown schematic views ofcloth tapes or lead ribbons, so configured as to clearly illustrate theproblems and solutions involved in the instant invention. Broad fiattapes or ribbons are employed, rather than cylindrical cables so thattwisting, or the lack of same, of the tapes along their longitudinalaxis may be clearly seen. As previously mentioned, the conventionalmanner of forming glass fiber roving involves simultaneously winding anumber of strands in parallel on a rotating mandrel. This results in aroving package wherein the strands Within the roving itself are nottwisted with respect to one another. Thus, at 7 0, in FIG. 6, one seesthat the circumferential lengths of tape or ribbon are concentricallywound on one another with-out any twisting of the tape with respect toitself. In an .actual roving package, the roving itself, which would beroughly cylindrical in transverse section, and involve or comprise anumber of. individual strand-s of the character previously describedlying parallel to one another, would lie both wrapped around and lyingalong the length of a winding mandrel with successive loops thereoflying at an angle to one another due to transverse of the mandrel, thegathering loop, or both with respect to one another. Thus, eachsuccessive roving loop would not lie strictly circumferentially outsidethe one preceding or inside of the one following. However, for ease ofvisualization, the tape in this case is shown coiled around itself witheach circumferential length thereof lying flatly over the inward onethereof. The flatness of the tape itself illustrates the fact thatindividual lengthwise threads or strands making up the fiat band of thetape are parallel to one another in FIG. 6.

However, one can see that roving analogue tape 70 has two ends, 71 and72. End 71 may be employed for unwinding or withdrawing the tape, but,as is conventional, end 72, from the center of the roving, has beenemployed and withdrawn from left to right in the view. This withdrawalof the tape or ribbon with the end 72 fixed in position and the taperoll 79 static, as it conventionally would be in the roving unwindingprocess, results in one 360 twist in every circumferential length of thetape withdrawn, as may be seen in the view in the tape length 73.

On the other hand, in FIG. 7, where the body of the roving analogue tapeor ribbon is seen at the left, general- -ly designated 74, with outerend 75 and inner end 76, the

tape or ribbon has been wound on itself with one 360 twist input, in thesame direction, for every 360 circumferential length wound around theaxis. This results, when the length 77 is withdrawn from the package inthe correct direction, namely, opposite to the direction of input of theroving to the roll in the winding process, in the production of anuntwisted tape or ribbon. In the case of a cylindrical, twisted rovingpackage, the same manner of withdrawal would result in an untwistedroving or a roving having no twist of the strands relative to oneanother in the withdrawn or pulled out roving length. The phrase in thecorrect direction in the last sentence refers to the fact that, if thedraw is in the opposite direction from that shown, a double twist wouldbe put into the tape length 77. Comparing to FIG. 6, one will see thathowever one draws from the package of FIG. 6, either end 71 or end 72,and in the opposite direction from the drawn shown,

4 there will be an equal and opposite twist to the tape or ribbon tothat shown. On the contrary, with respect to FIG. 7, if one draws eitherend 75 or end 76 in the direction shown, the roving or tape will nothave a twist, but if either end 75 or 76 is drawn in the oppositedirection, there will be a double twist to the tape or ribbon.

Referring to the drawings of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-5, inclusive, itwill be noted that the entire apparatus is mounted on a suitable frameof metal beam members operative to structurally support the operatingmembers of the apparatus assembly with respect to one another. Thedetails of these frame members will not be described, as they may bevaried considerably. Many of such have been cut away in various of theviews to give better visual access to components therepast ortherebelow, and the like.

Electric motor 10 drives two pulleys, 11 and 12, on its rotating shaft13. Pulley 11, through belt 14 and pulley 15, rotates countershaft 16.The latter, received in bearings 17 and 18, in turn rotates pulley 19.Pulley 19, through belt 20 and pulley 21, rotates drum generalydesignated 22. Drum 22 rotates but does not move axially.

Pulley 12, the second pulley on shaft 13 of electric motor 10, throughbelt 23 and pulley 24-, rotates countershaft 25. Countershaft 25,rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 26 and 27 is provided with aflywheel 28. Flywheel 28 stores inertial energy and serves to smooth outcyclical variations in load.

Countershaft is connected, through flexible coupling 29 to high speedshaft 34 (FIG. 1) of speed reducer 31. Low speed shaft 32 (FIG. 2) ofspeed reducer 31 rotates heart-shaped cam 33. Rotating cam 33, throughcam followers 34 and 35, moves paired arms 36 back and forth about lowerpivot point or pin 37. Cam followers 34 and 35 are mounted between arms36 on pins or shafts 35a and 34a in rotatable fashion, and pivot pin orpoint 37 is held in a vertical slot in member 38 via downwardlyextending arm 39 which allows pivot point or pin 37 to move vertically,but not horizontally.

The upper ends of arms 36 are connected, through pin 40, link 41 and pin42, to clamp 43. Clamp 43 encircles and is fixedly connected to elongatetube 44. Tube 44 is supported by linear bearings at 45 and 46 fixedlymounted on the upper portion of the frame. As arms 36 rock back andforth about lower pivot 37, tube 44 reciprocates axially, but does notrotate.

Idler pulley 47 is mounted on a slotted support and can be adjusted tokeep belt 14 tight. Likewise, idler pulley 48 can be adjusted to keepbelt 23 tight. All of the pulleys, as well as the drum 22, rotate in thesame direction as shown by the arrows.

Particularly referring to FIG. 5, mandrel 49 is connected, by cap screws50, to tube 44, and consequently reciprocates with it. A collar 51 isattached to the inboard end of mandrel 49 with set screw 52. Anothercollar 53 is attached to the outboard end of mandrel 49 by set screws5'4.

Referring particularly to the upper portion of FIG. 5, bearing 55 isbolted to the end plate 22a of drum 22, while bearing 56 is attached,via bracket 57, to the cylindrical inside portion of drum 22. Shaft 58is carried in bearings 55 and 56. At the outboard end of shaft 58 iskeyed arm 59. Shaft 58 is free to rotate in bearings 55 and 56, butcannot move axially.

Torsion spring 69 encircles shaft 58. One end of spring 60 is attachedby bracket 61 to the cylindrical inner face of drum 22. The other end ofspring 6(1) is attached to a collar 62 which is locked on shaft 58 bymeans of a set screw (not seen). Torsion spring 60 tends to rotate shaft58 in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 4) and urges arm 59toward mandrel 49. Handle 63 is keyed to shaft 58 and may be used tomanually overcome force of the spring 6%, thereby pulling arm 59 awayfrom mandrel 49.

Pigtail roving guide 64 (FIG. 4) is bolted to arm 59.

Brackets 66 are bolted to arm 59 and carry shaft 67. Roller 68 is freeto rotate on shaft 67. Roving 69 is brought through pigtail guide 65from a creel (not seen). It should be understood that, before the roving69 passes through the eye 64:: of pigtail guide 6 same comprisesseparate strands being drawn from forming tube packages positioned onthe creel. Once same are gathered through the eye of pigtail guide 64,same are a single roving cable, so to speak, and pass into circularroving guide 65 as such. Roving 69 then passes through, as mentioned,circular guide 65, under roller 63, and is wrapped on mandrel 49.

As previously mentioned, drum 22 rotates. It carries with it arm 59,roving guides 64 and 65 and roller 68. Mandrel 49 does not rotate, butreciprocates axially. This combination of motions deposits the roving onthe mandrel forming a cylindrical package. The machine is so dimensionedthat the roving is deposited between the two collars 51 and 53. Mandrel49 is typically three inches in diameter and the finished packageapproximately 10 inches in diameter. As the package builds up, theroller 63 is in contact with its periphery. The arm 59 pivots on shaft53 and accommodates to this changing diameter. When the package hasreached the desired diameter, the machine is stopped and the collar 53at the outboard end of the mandrel is removed. The package is then slidoff the mandrel. The mandrel has a polished surface and a slight taper,approximately 0.50 inch in its length of about 10 inches, to facilitatethis. As the package is removed,

the roller 63 is held away from its surface by means of r the handle 63.

The action of drum 22 in rotation clockwise in FIG. 4, with the strandsof the roving coming from the observers viewpoint in FIG. 4 into eye 64aand thence turning at right angles and passing down through guide 65,operates to put a single 360 twist in each circumferential length ofroving wrapped around the rotationally static mandrel. The rovingstrands are coming from the left in FIG. 5 and thence passing downwardlyaround the axially reciprocating mandrel 49. If the twist wrapped rovingpackage is removed from the mandrel and maintained with its axisparallel to the mandrel, without reversal of the ends, and the roving iswithdrawn from the end of the nonrotatin g package, the followingconditions will obtain:

(1) When the roving is withdrawn from the inside to the right it willhave no twist;

(2) When the roving is withdrawn from the inside to the left it willhave a twist;

(3) When the roving is withdrawn from the outside'to the right it willhave a twist;

(4) When the roving is withdrawn from the outside to the left it willhave no twist.

As pointed out above, it is desirable to have no twist in the roving asit is taken from the package and it is more practical to take it fromthe inside of the package.

Although this machine shows a reciprocating mandrel and an'onreciprocating guide to deposit the roving on the mandrel, it is alsopossible to have the fiber guide reciprocate and the mandrel notreciprocate. The effect Will be the sameto distribute the roving alongthe length of the mandrel.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the process.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaim.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of producing a roving made up of textile fiber strands, saidstrands unt-wisted with respect to one another in said roving,comprising the steps of winding a plurality of textile fiber strands ona nonrotating mandrel in such manner that each circumferential length ofroving wound on said mandrel has one twist per turn of the strands withrespect to one another and then withdrawing the roving from the woundpackage in a direction opposite to that in which the strands were woundon the said package.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,092,811 9/1937 Moncrieif et al.242-42 2,386,158 10/1945 Collins 242166- X 2,639,097 5/1953 Scott242-171 X 2,709,553 5/1955 Wellcome 242-171 X 2,882,674 4/1959 Lenk242-42 X 3,000,075 9/1961 Bradshaw 242--47.01 X 3,072,518 1/1963 White24242 X 3,161,010 12/1964 Salteri et a1.

3,272,455 9/ 1966 Sternberg et a1. 242.--171 STANLEY N. GILREATH,Primary Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING A ROVING MADE UP OF TEXTILE FIBER STRANDS, SAIDSTRANDS UNTWISTED WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER IN SAID ROVING, COMPRISINGTHE STEPS OF WINDING A PLURALITY OF TEXTILE FIBER STRANDS ON ANONROTATING MANDREL IN SUCH MANNER THAT EACH CIRCUMFERENTIAL LENGTH OFROVING WOUND ON SAID MANDREL HAS ONE TWIST PER TURN OF THE STRANDS WITHRESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER AND THEN WITHDRAWING THE ROVING FROM THE WOUNDPACKAGE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT IN WHICH THE STRANDS WERE WOUNDON THE SAID PACKAGE.